Corn Uí Mhuirí: De La Salle on brink of exit after falling to Clonmel turnaround
De La Salle Macroom’s Billy Murphy in action against CBS HS Clonmel during Wednesday's TUS Corn Uí Mhuirí game in Castlelyons. Picture: Chani Anderson
The hopes of Macroom’s De La Salle College of qualifying for the TUS Corn Uí Mhuirí knockout stages took a major blow as they succumbed to a 12-point second-half turnaround against CBS High School Clonmel in Castlelyons on Wednesday.
When De La Salle captain Jack O’Shea kicked a two-point score in the 39th minute, the Cork side led by 1-10 to 0-6 but, by the time they added to that tally, last year’s beaten finalists had scored an unanswered 3-5 to put themselves in control.
With Macroom having drawn with Coláiste Choilm of Ballincollig in their opening game of the three-team Group 3, this result means that Clonmel are guaranteed qualification. The avoidance of defeat against Ballincollig will give them top spot – Macroom will hope that they can win by six points or more, which is what they need to earn a reprieve.
For so long, Macroom had looked likelier winners, though they did have an early let-off as Cillian Morrissey shot wide with an early Clonmel goal chance after intercepting a kickout.
Following early wides on both sides, a Macroom goal was the game’s opening score, with Billy Murphy palming home a Jack Browne delivery. Another green flag might have followed but for good Rian Galko defending but, even so, midfield supremacy through Jack O’Shea and Sam Kelleher Leavy, Macroom stayed on top and Brown’s point coming up to half-time had them 1-6 to 0-4 in front, though they did require an Adam Long save to deny Tristan O’Connor before the Clonmel attacker had the last score of the half.
Early in the second half, Long denied Killian Smith and O’Connor before orange flags from Dylan O’Shea and Jack O’Shea helped De La Salle to push into that seven-point lead.
Clonmel kept their composure, however. Points from the influential Conor Freaney and goalkeeper James O’Brien (45) closed the gap before Morrissey eschewed the chance of an easy pointed free and instead sent a quick ball to Smith, who finished to the net.
The gap was down to one when Long saved well from Smith; the 45 was kept alive and O’Connor fired over before Morrissey gave them the lead for the first time.
The momentum was flowing now for Clonmel, whose team featured most of those who won the 2024-25 U17B title, and Freaney scored a second goal before Colin Roche and Conall Morrison combined for Ben Roche to add another, 3-11 to 1-10 with seven minutes left.
Macroom sought a response and might have had one but for a fine Galko block on a Jack Kelleher Leavy effort.
Three De La Salle points had four in it in injury time but Clonmel sub Hugh Carolan had the final say to leave them running the table.
C Freaney 1-4 (0-3f), B Roche 1-1, K Smith 1-0, C Morrissey 0-3 (0-2f), T O’Connor 0-2, J O’Brien 0-1 (45), H Carolan 0-1.
B Murphy 1-2 (0-1f), J Kelleher Leavy 0-4 (1 2pt), J Browne 0-2 (0-1f), J O’Shea (2pt), D O’Shea (2pt) 0-2 each, R O’Shea 0-1.
J O’Brien (Moyle Rovers); R O’Reilly (Clonmel Óg), R Galko (Clonmel Óg), A White (Moyle Rovers); D O’Callaghan (Clonmel Commercials), J Boland (Moyle Rovers), C Morrison (Moyle Rovers); C Roche (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), D Ryan (The Nire); E Condon (Clonmel Commercials), C Freaney (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), B Roche (Kilsheelan-Kilcash); K Smith (Clonmel Commercials), T O’Connor (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), C Morrissey (Moyle Rovers).
A McMaugh (The Nire) for O’Callaghan (27, injured), H Carolan (Moyle Rovers) for O’Connor (55), C Walsh (The Nire) for Smith (60+1).
A Long (Kilmurry); R Fitzgerald (Macroom), E Healy (Macroom), T Hopkins (Macroom); B O’Leary (Kilmurry), R O’Sullivan (Naomh Abán), C Neville (Macroom); J O’Shea (Macroom), S Kelleher Leavy (Macroom); D O’Shea (Macroom), J Browne (Kilmichael), D Moss (Macroom); R O’Shea (Macroom), J Kelleher Leavy (Macroom), B Murphy (Macroom).
A Hopkins (Macroom) for O’Shea (47), D Donovan (Macroom) for O’Leary (60+3).
E Coleman (Youghal).
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